752 vehicles seized from drunk drivers on first two days of New Year clampdown

[rooster59]

752 vehicles seized from drunk drivers on first two days of New Year clampdown

By The Nation

 

 

Authorities temporarily seized 752 vehicles from intoxicated drivers on the first two days of the “Seven Dangerous Days” of the New Year holidays.

 

Col Sirichan Ngathong, deputy spokeswoman of the National Council for Peace and Order, told a press conference on Saturday that on Friday, the second day of the stepped-up enforcement, 451 motorcycles and 213 other vehicles were seized by the authorities from drivers considered to be too intoxicated to drive safely.

 

From Thursday to Friday, 514 motorcycles and 238 other vehicles were seized and the two days period saw 25,826 drunk drivers arrested, she added.

 

On Friday alone, 21,383 drunk drivers were arrested, she said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30361331

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-12-29

[darksidedog]

21,000+ drink driving arrests in a single day? How many more got away with it? That is just staggering and obviously says the message isn't getting through to people that you can't do it. If they confiscated the vehicle of every single one and kept it for a few months, whilst jailing large numbers at the same time, said message might start to be understood. Expect about the same tomorrow though.

[stanleycoin]

Now crush or burn them, in front of the bad Somchai's

ASAP. its all they understand. 

Financial loss is good for Thailands bad boys 

Edited December 29, 2018 by stanleycoin

[bkk6060]

6 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

21,000+ drink driving arrests in a single day? How many more got away with it? That is just staggering and obviously says the message isn't getting through to people that you can't do it. If they confiscated the vehicle of every single one and kept it for a few months, whilst jailing large numbers at the same time, said message might start to be understood. Expect about the same tomorrow though.

Those are just the ones they catch.  Multiply it by 20 or more.

I am staying home mostly and not going out at all after 4 pm.

Too much craziness..

[marko kok prong]

Incredible numbers,will they loose their licence,if they have one,think about those not caught,i followed a pickup yesterday arvo weaving all over the road, eventually i overtook it,the driver seemed barely concious as i passed.

[ryane66]

Same statistician that TAT use? ????  All the checkpoints l went through,  they were all busy looking at their phones. Not once did anyone get up.

[from the home of CC]

and yesterday a thread on how an expat can try to avoid the penalties for this selfish crime, disgusting.

[robblok]

28 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

21,000+ drink driving arrests in a single day? How many more got away with it? That is just staggering and obviously says the message isn't getting through to people that you can't do it. If they confiscated the vehicle of every single one and kept it for a few months, whilst jailing large numbers at the same time, said message might start to be understood. Expect about the same tomorrow though.

As there was a topic a few days ago about a farang who drank too much and ended up in jail for the weekend and then straight for a judge and had to pay a fine around 8000 if i  remember correctly they wont be jailing many of them at all. Just huge fines and lockup till they can see a judge. But somehow i don't think that all the drunks are locked up to face a judge right away (judges have holidays too and the extra amount of drunks is huge so i think much of it is just a fine and go on.

 

I can only hope the fines are high so people learn a bit. 

[from the home of CC]

28 minutes ago, robblok said:

As there was a topic a few days ago about a farang who drank too much and ended up in jail for the weekend and then straight for a judge and had to pay a fine around 8000 if i  remember correctly they wont be jailing many of them at all. Just huge fines and lockup till they can see a judge. But somehow i don't think that all the drunks are locked up to face a judge right away (judges have holidays too and the extra amount of drunks is huge so i think much of it is just a fine and go on.

 

I can only hope the fines are high so people learn a bit. 

 

8000 for endangering peoples lives, that's a joke and as westerners with the benefit of an education just shows me some folks living here are just using up valuable O2.

[Searat7]

I think drunk drivers caught during New Years or Songkran should have to spend a year in jail. There must be harsh consequences or behavior will not change.

[robblok]

2 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

 

8000 for endangering peoples lives, that's a joke and as westerners with the benefit of an education just shows me some folks living here are just using up valuable O2.

You have to see this in relation to the average salary.. then its quite a high fine (not for a foreigner though). Anyway I agree i really dislike drunks as they usually dont kill themselves when they hit someone but usually kill the other person. 

[prakhonchai nick]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

You have to see this in relation to the average salary.. then its quite a high fine (not for a foreigner though). Anyway I agree i really dislike drunks as they usually dont kill themselves when they hit someone but usually kill the other person. 

Fining is not the answer in itself.  There should be a mandatory jail sentence for anyone found drunk driving (higher if involved in an accdent) ;  confiscation and sale of the vehicle (regardless of ownership) with the sale proceeds going to the victims of accidents plus a minimum 5 year driving ban (more if in an accident).  Make that the law, strictly enforce it, and within weeks Thailand will be a much safer place for all. For once drivers would be in fear of doing something wrong, and those that let others drive their vehicles come what may would be somewhat reluctant to do so.

 

Edited December 29, 2018 by prakhonchai nick

[holy cow cm]

The numbers don’t add up to the vehicles seized. I don’t believe it. 

[robsamui]

[Misterwhisper]

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

From Thursday to Friday, 514 motorcycles and 238 other vehicles were seized and the two days period saw 25,826 drunk drivers arrested, she added.

If almost 26,000 motorists (a mind-boggling number for only two days!) were in fact caught while behind the wheel, why were only 752 vehicles seized? What happened to the other 25,074 vehicles?

 

After all, there is only ONE driver per vehicle, hence if 25,826 were arrested, there logically also must've been 25,826 vehicles, right? With this sort of leniency, it is now wonder that the message never ever really catches on among motorists.

[robsamui]

50 minutes ago, robsamui said:

Just to give an idea - here is a crowd of 20,000 people

[wgdanson]

3 hours ago, Searat7 said:

I think drunk drivers caught during New Years or Songkran should have to spend a year in jail. There must be harsh consequences or behavior will not change.

Why only New Years and Songkran. ALL YEAR ROUND. 

[metisdead]

Off topic posts about drunk driving statistics in the USA and UK have been removed.

Edited December 29, 2018 by metisdead

[SABloke]

4 hours ago, darksidedog said:

21,000+ drink driving arrests in a single day? How many more got away with it? That is just staggering and obviously says the message isn't getting through to people that you can't do it. If they confiscated the vehicle of every single one and kept it for a few months, whilst jailing large numbers at the same time, said message might start to be understood. Expect about the same tomorrow though.

"Arrest" is translated poorly. They aren't arrested. They're "apprehended" i.e. stopped, sometimes vehicle confiscated, and fined. 

[DavisH]

1 hour ago, Misterwhisper said:

If almost 26,000 motorists (a mind-boggling number for only two days!) were in fact caught while behind the wheel, why were only 752 vehicles seized? What happened to the other 25,074 vehicles?

 

After all, there is only ONE driver per vehicle, hence if 25,826 were arrested, there logically also must've been 25,826 vehicles, right? With this sort of leniency, it is now wonder that the message never ever really catches on among motorists.

The article says:

451 motorcycles and 213 other vehicles were seized by the authorities from drivers considered to be too intoxicated to drive safely.

 

I bet the rest were fined and left to drive/ride home lol. Surely anyone over the limit should NOT be driving. I wonder how much "too intoxicated" is...0.15, 0.20??

[prakhonchai nick]

HOw can the police detain a highly drunk driver with all his family inside the vehicle miles from home with no public transport available?  Just a little (or large) sweetener and told to drive slowly and carefully. Im sure thats what happens in the majority of cases. It certainly happened to my Brother in Law last year.  The sweetener was 12,000Baht and amazingly 1,000Baht was returned for "petrol"

[losworld]

book em Dano....

[Moti24]

6 hours ago, marko kok prong said:

Incredible numbers,will they loose their licence,if they have one,think about those not caught,i followed a pickup yesterday arvo weaving all over the road, eventually i overtook it,the driver seemed barely concious as i passed.

On which side of the pickup did you overtake?  I hope you didn't exceed the speed limit!

[Classic Ray]

If no other occupant was licensed/sober enough to drive, in the UK the vehicle was towed and stored, very high costs to recover it afterwards. Drunk drivers only released after blowing a negative test.

 

The biggest penalty there was prison for driving whilst disqualified (minimum 12 month ban) and prohibitive insurance cost for convicted drunk drivers.

 

Thailand could take this experience and apply it directly to reduce the carnage. I fear for my family’s safety every car journey they make.

Edited December 29, 2018 by Classic Ray

[chanangrak]

Do they really seize the cars??????and where do they detain 25,000 and how do they transport them???I reckon most get another driver to come and get the car.....they arnt arrested ,they are fined...and most don't pay it.....in my Thai family only 1 has a license....3 can't be bothered..doesnt matter what I say......also I have been watching lately and I estimate 6 out of ten drivers don't wear their seat belt????love Thailand but the thais will always get pissed and drive....they just don't care and think it won't go bad for them......very vain and very dumb people....so the more of these idiots that meet Buddha sooner then later...good.... is their karma....but as it goes they usually kill others on the road.....the government should take the car off drunk drivers for 1 to 3 months .....then they might think a bit...but this will never happen........NO ONE CARES enough to get REALLY tough on road offences.......

[marko kok prong]

1 hour ago, Moti24 said:

On which side of the pickup did you overtake?  I hope you didn't exceed the speed limit!

Outside,and of course i did not exceed the speed limit,the pick up was travelling at no more than 15 kmh,due to almost going down a ditch,an unconcious driver and his passenger helping him to drive,i really hit the gas,must have got too ,ooohh,35 kmh at least,hey man,that's letting that baby go,huh.

[Ulic]

The truth of the matter is the size of the penalty has very little to do with whether the person will commit the offense. What will change peoples behavior is knowing they will be caught. Whether it is red-light runner cameras at intersections, radar speed cameras, and to curb DUI's, police continually implementing spot checks on the roadways year round. Knowing you WILL be caught (even eventually) will change peoples habits. 

[quandow]

7 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

If almost 26,000 motorists (a mind-boggling number for only two days!) were in fact caught while behind the wheel, why were only 752 vehicles seized? What happened to the other 25,074 vehicles?

Have you SEEN the way they can pile people onto a motorbike?

????

[dennis123]

15 hours ago, robblok said:

As there was a topic a few days ago about a farang who drank too much and ended up in jail for the weekend and then straight for a judge and had to pay a fine around 8000 if i  remember correctly they wont be jailing many of them at all. Just huge fines and lockup till they can see a judge. But somehow i don't think that all the drunks are locked up to face a judge right away (judges have holidays too and the extra amount of drunks is huge so i think much of it is just a fine and go on.

 

I can only hope the fines are high so people learn a bit. 

I have a hard time believing those numbers seeing how few people were locked up on the 22nd, and how difficult they made it for me to bribe me out of the situation or maybe I was just too much of a cheap ass, but really 20,000+ people nation-wide and only 4 foreigners in prison in Pattaya, of which 3 of them already stayed there for multiple days so I was literally the ONLY foreigner thrown in prison for DUI that day?

 

It's almost like they are making these numbers up in a way of look how hard we work, see how many we arrested! Others would think that's a bad reputation for Thailand while they perhaps apply their flawed logic of pretending to work hard to punish all those violators. Strange story, sure my case was on the 22nd but even then.

 

And what about those 752 vehicles seized but 20k+ arrested for DUI, why didn't the majority get their vehicle seized? ???????????? That's an average of 20 people per motorcycle/car lol. It doesn't really add up does it?

Edited December 29, 2018 by dennis123

[boonrawdcnx]

I am not defending drunk driving - but have the authorities and some people here on TV ever thought of how people get home when visiting friends for New Years and have a drink ?
Thais usually do not stay in one place for New Years celebrations but visit as many family members / friends as possible throughout the night and in the countryside that means on their motorbike for total lack of other transportation at night.

Workers who have their company parties and have a drink or two can’t get home anymore because they usually go to work in their bike.

Nothing has been done to address the problem of the total lack of public transport - which is virtually non existing throughout the entire country except for Bangkok.

Nobody wants to drive around drunk - but what are people supposed to do ?
The country where I come from has plenty of options to get home at night without having to drive drunk - here you have nothing and on top of it taxi drivers in Bangkok rip you off on New Years Eve refusing to turn on the meter and tell you take it or leave it!
Chiang Mai which has probably the size and population of some European capitals who offer multiple choices in public transport has nothing - no public transport system even worth talking about.

So maybe some people who advocate drastic measures like prison time, crushing bikes, huge fines e.g - maybe put yourselves in the shoes of the mostly poor Thais.

Who have no other choice of transport then their motorbike - which they use daily in the hot sun or rain to get to work and wherever they need to go.

Easy to say for the rich - arrest them, crush them.

The idiot leaders and politicians who are driven around by chauffeurs in their fancy cars but are too stupid to built a proper public transport system for the people to use.
Before you condemn people for drunk driving make sure they have an alternative to get home - because even people who work hard all year to scrap together a living have the right to enjoy the holidays a little bit.

Loosing their pick-up or motorbike could mean loosing their livelihood because they can’t get to work anymore.

This whole farce of reducing drunk driving is nothing but money making again by the corrupt police and it will not stop in the next 40+ years - because that is the time frame they are behind here when it comes to public transport compared to other countries.

I would love to leave my car / bike at home jump on a train or subway to get into the city like I did in my home country 40 years ago - not going to happen here - not in my life time!

But destroying poor peoples lives because they had a drink too much during the holidays can not be the solution!



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